Rays’ Drew Rasmussen loses perfect game in ninth inning

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen lost his bid for a perfect game against the Baltimore Orioles when Jorge Mateo hit a leadoff double in the ninth inning Sunday.

Mateo, who went 5-for-5 on Friday night, grounded the first pitch down the left-field line.

Rasmussen received a pair of standing ovations from the announced crowd of 18,093; one after Mateo’s hit and another when he was pulled with one out and the Rays up 4-1. He waved as he made his way off the field.

Rasmussen struck out Rougned Odor on a 2-2 pitch to end an eight-pitch at-bat for the second out in the eighth.

Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman flew out to the warning track in center in the first. Former Ray Brett Phillips had a hard drive buzz Rasmussen with two outs in the sixth, but shortstop Taylor Walls fielded the ball and threw to first for the out.

Rasmussen was coming off three no-hit innings in his previous start on Aug. 7 against the Tigers, an abbreviated outing to manage his workload for the season. His longest career start had been seven innings, coming June 4 against the Chicago White Sox.

Sunday marks nearly 10 years since the last perfect game was thrown in MLB. Former Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez threw the last perfect game on Aug. 15, 2012. Hernandez blanked the Rays in front of a Mariners home crowd that day. 

Former Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden (May 9, 2010), and Mark Buehrle of the White Sox (July 23, 2009), also had perfect games against the Rays.

Tampa Bay has never thrown a perfect game. Matt Garza has the only Rays no-hitter, coming on July 26, 2010, at Tropicana Field against the Tigers.

Reporting by Associated Press.